NEW YORK, April 13, 2010—amfAR, The Foundation for AIDS Research, on Tuesday announced the establishment of the Allan Rosenfield, M.D., HIV/AIDS Public Policy Internship and Fellowship program, which will enroll exceptional college undergraduates and graduate students who aspire to become public health and public policy leaders in HIV/AIDS.

The program, established in memory of distinguished public health leader Allan Rosenfield, M.D., dean of Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health for 22 years and chair of amfAR’s program board, will be based at amfAR’s Public Policy office in Washington, D.C.

“Rosenfield interns and fellows will play an integral role at amfAR,” said Chris Collins, amfAR’s vice president and director of public policy. “They will participate in a full range of public health advocacy activities that will connect them with others working in both the public and private sectors, and they will become active players in the HIV/AIDS policy community.”

During their placement, interns and fellows will co-author policy papers on specific issues related to the domestic and global HIV/AIDS epidemic. They will also contribute to the work of the Public Policy office by collaborating on writing and research projects, organizing meetings and conferences, and attending federal, Congressional, and NGO briefings.

In 2010, amfAR intends to award as many as three Allan Rosenfield placements, Collins said. Fellows will be eligible for up to a six-month placement and interns for three months. Interns and fellows will receive stipends based on their academic degree status.

As a member of amfAR’s board of trustees from 1997 to 2008, Dr. Rosenfield regularly provided Congressional testimony on behalf of amfAR in support of AIDS research and prevention initiatives, including syringe exchange programs. His research focused on reducing maternal mortality in the developing world as well as decreasing the spread of HIV/AIDS among mothers and children, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa and southern Asia. Dr. Rosenfield was among the first to call attention to the ethical imperative of offering HIV-positive mothers ongoing care and treatment for HIV after pregnancy.

“Dr. Rosenfield was a pioneering physician, academic leader, and educator, and he was a passionate advocate of evidence-based public health policy,” said amfAR CEO Kevin Robert Frost. “We’re hoping to find and nurture these qualities in the interns and fellows we select for this important new program.”

About amfAR
amfAR, The Foundation for AIDS Research, is one of the world’s leading nonprofit organizations dedicated to the support of AIDS research, HIV prevention, treatment education, and the advocacy of sound AIDS-related public policy. Since 1985, amfAR has invested more than $307 million in its programs and has awarded grants to more than 2,000 research teams worldwide.

For more information and to submit an application for amfAR’s Allan Rosenfield, M.D., HIV/AIDS Public Policy Internships and Fellowships, contact: